Chrysler Repair: 1997 water pump problems, crank shaft, oil seal

Question
QUESTION: Were trying to pull the crank shaft damper off using ther 3 jawed puller the crank shaft sprocket keeps pulling off with it. What am i doing wrong?

ANSWER: Hi Doug
I don't know why the two (damper and sprocket) are wedged together. Each one is supposed to separate from the crank individually using it own puller tool. Do you not want to remove the timing belt (you will normally have to do that to replace the water pump)? If you do want to remove the belt, why not do all those removal steps and then pull the damper/sprocket as a unit and separate them at that time? Make sure the alignment of the crank to the timing mark on the oil pump is right before removal. After separation reinstall sprocket.
Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: If you pull the whole thing out as one unit isnt it hard to remove the covers and belts at one time?

Answer
Hi Doug,
I am not sure what you mean...you are going to replace the belt anyway, correct? So what stands in the way of delaying taking off the pulley/crank until the best time in the process of removing the timing belt. I haven't done the job personally so don't count on my advice. But can't you just cut the belt and remove all the parts in the same order you would have otherwise to the point you could have taken off the crank sprocket had you had to do that say to change the crank oil seal? I may not be seeing an obvious difficulty. Do read the manual about removing the crank sprocket (the woodruff key,etc.) so you get it back together correctly. I trust you are working with a manual.
The main point is to get the crank at TDC and the sprockets similarly lined up and don't allow any siginificant independent rotation of the crank or either cam sprocket before you put the new belt back on. You are aware of the tensioner procedure if you have a good manual. Most people replace the belt when they do the water pump (unless it is relatively new), so I don't see any point in trying to worry about it.
Please let me know if I am missing something.
Roland

Hi Doug,
That is the question I had in my mind: is there a reason why the sprocket won't fit through the hole in the bottom cover with belt having been removed (by cutting it). Do you have to remove the bottom cover first because the hole is too small, and if so could you do that cover removal simultaneously with the pulling of the damper/sprocket as a unit. Or is there some reason why the damper has to come off early in the breakdown? That is the question you can best answer.
Roland